lessons in mommy life

For the record, I love pushing the stroller. It’s literally my favorite thing to do. lol. I’m also a bit of a nut when it comes to putting it in the car; I’m working on learning to get the girls in and out as fast as I can which is kinda fun for me! Slow mom + crowded parking lot + possible Houston heat + annoyed drivers = hell and honks. Not what I’m trying to experience. Luckily our stroller is super user friendly, light weight, and easy which helps a whole lot!! !

So, because I’m such a seasoned pro of a mama, I’ve been creating this mental list of what my thoughts and what I’ve learned and experienced as a new mom of twins. Answers to twin mama questions, fun experiences, and lessons are always fun to look back on and they’re great info for others!

SO!What’s it like being a twin mom? How do you ____ at the same time?
Of course these questions come from singleton mamas and I really have no idea how to answer their questions! I’ve always had two babes to care for at once – I’d like to know what it’s like to be a singleton mom! lol. I guess the simplest answer is that you do things either simultaneously or back to back.…. on feeding:
I quickly learned a few different ways to feed the girls at once…. My preference is to feed one about half an hour before the other but there are times when they just can’t wait. That usually happens when I’m not prepared and start warming bottles when it’s time to eat rather than having bottles ready and feeding one a little bit before. I also like the one on one time. If its really early in the morning, we just look at each other and there’s lots of touching. Group chats are fun, too, but I think one on one is pretty important, as well.…. on handling:
You quickly learn how to carry, hold, and rock two babies at once. I think the closeness of the three of us calms the girls much more quickly; they calm each other and of course being so close to mom calms them, too! I’ve squeezed them both in my Moby and that works wonders…….. My girls don’t calm each other well alone right now. One will scream and the other isn’t bothered. They can also take turns crying or breathe/cry at the same rate which is really funny and you just do the best you can to calm them both down. They don’t really wake each other up but I think they’re just starting to cry if the other cries. And, I put them to sleep the same way I feed them. Either one at a time or at the same time positioned generally the same way I position them to eat. lol.…. on calming/putting to sleep:There will be a point when both of them are going nuts at the same time. This is where learning different handling positions works greatly your favor. My favorite and what seems to work really well with my girls is cradling one in my arms and rocking the other on my thighs. (Sit, pull your feet near your booty to raise your knees.) I feed and put to sleep that way.

How do you balance time between the two? How do you choose who to ___ first?Sometimes, they decide for you. If ones asleep, you feed/change/play/etc with the one who’s awake first. Their temperaments determine a lot, too. At this very moment, both girls are awake but I’m holding Logan. Rhyann is just fine hanging out by herself and has even gone to sleep. Lo cried and cried; she needed some body heat and a neck to nuzzle. Easy. There are times when one just has cry and wait, which sucks but we rock and talk through it. As you learn their personalities, it’s easier to decide who needs/likes what and that helps a lot.

Shopping:
…. on getting in and out:Since they’re so small, we’ve only been to a couple of places – Target and Hobby Lobby. When going to Target, I park as close as I can to a cart return dock which makes it super easy to get them from car to basket and back. When in Hobby Lobby, I take their stroller and put whatever I’m buying at the bottom because their baskets aren’t as large.
…. in store attention:I guess Target is a friendlier place because we get a bit more attention there than in HL. lol. Lots of “Are those twins?” and “Are they yours?” and “Hey, come look! Twins!” (seriously!) But, luckily because they’re still in their carriers with their their privacy covers, they aren’t ogled over as much yet. But, I’ve already had someone pull that up! We’ll see how things go as they get older….. some stories I’ve heard about being in public have been a bit interesting to say the least.

Personal time:
Surely I wasn’t the only child whose parents preached “Get it done now so you won’t have to worry about it later!”…… We’ll, I’m preaching “Get it done now or you may not be able to do it later!”
Obviously, with twins, you do have double the work. Double the laundry, double the babies to bath & get dressed, double the bottles to prep or time spent breastfeeding, more milk to pump, etc. The only thing that isn’t doubled is the time they take napping. So, you don’t have as much “free” time I’m assuming you’d have with a singleton. And, it’s not like that nap time you have or the time you’re wearing your baby/ies is spent getting a pedi. You’re cleaning, napping, prepping, folding, cooking, etc. I’m learning that with trying to get everything done that NEEDS to be done and have time for myself, I have to plan and not waste time. Even perusing social media has a time. I tweeted earlier how I totally get how the Prov. 31 woman was up before everyone else – that’s the only time you have to yourself. (If everything else is already done. LOL). It’s a never and I love it because it keeps me on my toes and I’m more productive when I have more to do. So, I’m foreseeing lots of late nights after babies are asleep and early mornings of getting things done.… on getting ready:
I prep their bag the night before – restock diapers, water in bottles, powder formula in containers, etc. As you can see in the picture, I don’t and refuse to carry a huge diaper bag. There’s not yet a need and when they start to need too many things, I’ll keep the “just in case” and extras in the car. Anyway, the morning of, I get myself ready first from head to toe; If I’m wearing heels, they’re on as we walk out of the door. Next, I get the girls ready, pop em in their car seats, pick up the bag, and we’re out the door. That’s really working well for us now and takes anywhere from an hour and a half to two. I’m sure as they grow, getting out of the house will take longer and won’t be as simple but I’m soaking every minute of it up while I can!!

Is it easy? For me, it is right now. I’m loving every bit of it. When it does get difficult and everybody is screaming and mommy is exhausted, we just cuddle it out or endure the lung workouts until that bottle is warm or those eyes are closed!
One of my favorite phrases to hear is: “I can’t imagine you with kids!” or “Alaina has two babies.” I’m not quite sure how to take it – some people it’s the idea of having twins and we laugh because there are days I say the same thing. But for the others – keep watching. It’s going to be a whole lot of fun for the both of us!

Comments

Get it mama! You sound like you are adjusting to double mommy-hood well! Finding time to even brush your teeth is a feat all within itself, so keep it up! I now have a To do list for what I want to accomplish for the day since there aren’t as many hours in a day as there are tasks that a mother has!

Hey, girl, hey!!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Grab a glass and get cozy! I’m a girl mom to a set of twins plus one who loves sharing about Jesus, living boldly, and educating others! My heart is to help you see that you are in enough in Christ, that there is life after the bottom drops out, and that the healthier you are the more impactful you are. My hope is that you find Jesus here. That you leave feeling encouraged, hopeful, served and seen. Thank you for coming over! You are so welcome here.

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